A Deadly Education - Naomi Novik

⭐ 6.5/10

(Originally written by hoodie_logi)

This was a fun listen (I've recently realized I like audiobooks, this being the first book I've completed through this medium), though there were a few things I didn't like either.

First, the plot of this book is amazing. Teenaged wizards are enrolled in a school that is actively trying to kill them. There are no teachers, you sign up for classes and the school magically provides them with the materials needed to learn. "Graduating" is only marked with surviving four years in a school riddled with monsters hidden everywhere. After graduation, you hope you've made enough connections and made a good enough impressions to be accepted into an "Enclave", a magic community in the real world that has banded together, because the monsters don't stop trying to kill you after you've graduated.

The magic system is also great, as unlike in Harry Potter where they can just do whatever they please willy nilly, wizards in this book need to store up mana and choose their spells wisely.

Oh also, instead of the main character being the "saviour-Harry-Potter" type, she's the one wizard in the school with a prophecy about her becoming the one dark lord of the wizard world. There also is a HP like character, but he's an absolute brickhead which is lovely. Very very fun plot.

My main issue came in the main character, especially in the first half of the book. She is insufferably pessimistic (which is understandable since ya know she might be a future dark lord), but it's so evident that lots of her isolation and rejection is her fault. Thankfully, there is character growth by the end. I'm sure it was the way it was meant to be written, with her being the villain and all, but it was admittedly tough to get through in the beginning.

The finale was also so-so, kind of an easy resolution in my eyes to a problem that had been plaguing the characters for a long time.

Overall, it was a pleasant read and just enough to keep me coming back, but won't go on any all time lists for me. Not sure if I'll continue the series, but we will see! Perhaps a future dark lord trying to her hardest not to be completely evil will be enough to draw me back in.